President Trump to Take Steps to End Hong Kong's Special Status for Customs Controls

On Friday, May 29 President Trump announced that the U.S. will begin the process of revoking Hong Kong’s differential treatment from China, based on a belief that the territory is no longer autonomous from China. Most notably, this indicates that Hong Kong will no longer be treated as a separate Customs territory. Additionally, the contemplated changes will impact travel to Hong Kong as individuals will need to procure a Chinese visa.

While few eyewear or sunwear products are manufactured in Hong Kong, any product manufactured in Hong Kong will be considered of Chinese origin once these contemplated changes are implemented. As with all Chinese origin products, the additional China 301 duties would be assessed on those goods if imported into the United States. Thus, members currently purchasing Hong Kong origin goods should plan accordingly for these upcoming changes.

No timetable for effectuating these changes was announced. The Vision Council will update the membership as more information on this subject becomes available. Any questions can be directed to Rick Van Arnam, The Vision Council’s regulatory affairs counsel, at rvanarnam@barnesrichardson.com.